Social Security has established some requirements to get benefits. In this case, retirement benefits are the ones chosen for today. Despite the fact that there are millions of Americans receiving benefits from Social Security, not everyone qualifies to get them. The first requirement you need to meet is the age. You could start claiming your benefit at the age of 62.
That is the earliest you can start getting your monthly cheque. On the other hand, you could delay it until you are 70 years old. According to Social Security, they will not be able to pay you retirement benefits unless you have gotten the required number of work credits. You will therefore need to work for about ten years to get the necessary 40 credits.
What other benefits could I get if I do not meet the 40-credit requirement Social Security set?
It will depend if you are a person with a disability or not. If you have a disability and you can provide Social Security with the necessary information and medical certificates you may be able to qualify for it. It will also depend on the age you are and the credits you may have. If you are younger than 24 you will only need six credits. It is essential you got them in the three previous years before your disability started.
Being older may imply needing more credits, but you may have had more time to be able to get them. Another possibility is to get survivor benefits. You may be eligible to get a benefit as a surviving spouse or child, even if the worker who died did not get the 40 credits.
Why is it important to check your work credits regularly?
Social Security recommends checking your work credits every year. In this way, you can spot any mistakes that there might be. You can always make a complaint and claim your credits if there was an error. However, there is a time limit, if you exceed it, you may not be able to claim them. Having a mySocialSecurity account is essential.
Create your Social Security account in order to check the number you get every year, and the credits you got in the past if you have never seen them before. Remember that you can earn as many as 4 credits per year. In addition, to get one credit you must have earned at least $1,640 in 2023.